You ever think you know something pretty well, then you learn a new skill that you felt silly for not already figuring out? I like that. It's like the Chinese plow vs the European plow. A European style plow has a flat blade that is dragged across the ground perpendicularly. There's lots of resistance and it takes a bunch of oxen. A Chinese style plow has a wedge shape, so it cuts through the earth like a ship bow and requires far less oxen. The Chinese plow seems like such an obvious improvement, but the European style didn't die out until the Chinese plow reached Europe (and I'll bet you that a lot of European farmers were thinking "Damn, why the hell didn't we think of that?). Instead of assuming that all the past martial arts masters thought of everything, I think that it's possible that many of them are masters of the European plow, and the Chinese plow is still being figured out.

Naturally, there's refinement and new looks at old moves in any art. It's one of the nice parts about competition-driven evolution. There rarely are any new moves, just tweaks and refinements. But some of this is rules-driven. For example, jumping closed guard is a viable competition strategy in BJJ because the rules effectively encourage it by barring slamming -- and techniques evolve around that ruleset.

There are a lot more reasons to jump guard than just the absence of slamming; any time you're fighting an opponent with superior takedown skills, that's a damn good reason to jump/sit guard rather than getting your ass thrown.

Last edited by TheMightyMcClaw; 4/27/2010 4:16pm at .

The fool thinks himself immortal,
If he hold back from battle;
But old age will grant him no truce,
Even if spears spare him.

Naturally, there's refinement and new looks at old moves in any art. It's one of the nice parts about competition-driven evolution. There rarely are any new moves, just tweaks and refinements. But some of this is rules-driven. For example, jumping closed guard is a viable competition strategy in BJJ because the rules effectively encourage it by barring slamming -- and techniques evolve around that ruleset.

"Out of every hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back." -- Hericletus, circa 500 BC